Who is the opposition party?

The opposition is the major political party that is not in power. For example, in federal politics, the opposition is currently the Australian Labor Party (ALP). In New South Wales, the opposition is the Liberal Party. All opposition ministers with portfolios are referred to as shadow ministers. Take Julia Gillard. She is the Deputy Leader of the ALP and also the Shadow Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations. Her counterpart in the elected government is Federal Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Joe Hockey.

What’s the difference between the upper and lower house?

The members of the upper and lower houses are elected by us during an election. The lower house or House or Representatives comprises of members that represent an area of the population called an electorate. The Prime Minister, Ministers and Shadow Ministers are all part of the lower house. The upper house or the Senate consists of 12 senators from each state, plus two from each territory. When a bill is passed through the lower house, it is then sent to the upper house to be debated. The upper house has the power to reject or accept the bill.

What does the federal, state, and local governments look after?

Sometimes the responsibilities of the three levels of government overlap. Here is a very simplistic example of some of the things that each level of government looks after. The federal government looks after industrial relations, trade, immigration, and defence. The state government is responsible for public transport, health, education and roads. The local government provides facilities such as libraries and parks. It also provides services like garbage pick up and recycling.

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